Several Moments, And a Page of Poem
by khuahaul
Summary: Sequel to 'Those who are hurt, Those who are lost'. Naruto is having trouble in school, and it seems Sasuke has made a discovery. oneshot


1

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**Several Moments, and a Page of a Poem**

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Naruto looked away as people turned to stare at him, finding his black sneakers suddenly very interesting. Whispering ensued, and he could tell that they were talking about him, just by the way his name flitted about the room softly. Nothing they said was good. Keeping in a sigh, Naruto looked back up again, focusing his gaze on the blackboard. The whispering continued even after their English teacher, Iruka, stepped inside. "Okay, class. Settle down now." The class fell silent as the brunette spoke, papers rustling about as the teacher grabbed a piece of chalk. Iruka-sensei faced the class and looked over at the blonde seated at the back, smiling at him sadly. Naruto knew that look, a pity look. The blonde gave a half-hearted glare to the older man, as the teacher went to the board and wrote on its black surface. Naruto knew what the look was for, it was a way to apologize for what he was going through. This made the blue-eyed teen numb and bitter inside. He didn't want nor need pity, especially not from Iruka-sensei. It was bad enough the whole school was sharing his life, adding in bits of lies with each story sharing.

Naruto buried himself into his green sweater, staring over at his best friend Kiba who was seated a row away. _'He won't even talk to me anymore...' _Naruto felt his eyes glaze over but fought down the grief and tried to stay focus to his teacher. Iruka-sensei had been explaining something... "This assignment is due in a months time. I want you to use all your basic knowledge of Shakespeare's plays to try and write your own sort of poem. Creative language is encouraged. It may be about whatever you want it to be about, but remember it accounts for 20 of your final grade, so do it!" The class gave lazy nods, understanding. The school bell rang and chaos broke out as people rushed for the door. Naruto took to slipping out of the classroom window, the classroom was on the ground floor and honestly he didn't feel like dealing with Iruka's motherly prattles. This was the kind of shit he had hoped never to experience ever again ever since he left the orphanage. Naruto walked around the school, sticking to the most unpopular paths as he hurried to leave school property. Watching people as they stared and whispered about him...he didn't want to have to deal with that anymore.

He strode down the track field and was almost at the other end of the yard when he realized his only means of escape was being blocked by Gaara and his gang. Gaara was in his English class, naruto noted. He made to turn around and maybe find another way home but it was too late. "Hey, faggot!" Naruto didn't even bother to gaze over his shoulder, he knew the red-head was making his way to him. Without hesitation, Naruto broke into a run, pounding over to the closest fence. Hammering feet behind him alerted him that he was being chased. His fingers looped into the black chain mail as he hurried to lift himself up, feet scrambling against the weak metal. And he was almost over too, before a hand fisted in his shirt, pulling him back down. He hit the ground hard, and managed to catch a glimpse of red and black before he was being pummeled; feet and fists smacking hard against his flesh. Tears leaked from his eyes as he curled up against the onslaught, his lips bleeding as he bit it to keep from yelling out in pain. What felt like hours later, the gang left him, beaten and bloody on the school's soccer field. Whimpering from the pain, Naruto got to his feet and limped home. _'This is what I get,' _he thought as he looked into the bathroom mirror, lightly touching dark bruises and his busted lip. _'Should have just kept myself locked indoors for the rest of my teenage life.' _The blonde didn't know exactly how everything changed, but he was probably sure someone had been around when he had nearly gotten raped.

It had happened a few weeks after the whole Sasuke's birthday incident, which Naruto was quick to put to the back of his mind. He'd needed to go to the store, and even though it was practically 11 p.m, he knew that he really needed to get some food for tomorrow and that it couldn't wait. Rabba wasn't too far from his house, and he'd be quick about it Naruto had reasoned; so grabbing his keys, money and jacket, the blonde left his house. On his way home, he thought he heard someone walking behind him and he had quickened his pace. His home was right there, across the street, but before he even made it to the intersection Naruto had been grabbed and thrown into a nearby alley. His shopping bag dropped from his hands and bounced off into the darkness, the milk carton breaking open and pouring its contents over the tar ground. A body was slammed against his, as the stranger pushed him up on the alley wall. His nose caught the strong scent of Axe, before a tongue was shoved down his throat and a hand slid into his pants. His assaulter gripped his wrists with one hand as he ravished the blonde, the attacker's hand still wrapped around Naruto's member. Fear and disgust clenched at the teen and he struggled against the stranger, breaking free long enough to swing his fist into the guy's head. Naruto watched as the man stumbled off into the darkness, before tearing out of the alley and across the street. Safely locked away inside his house, the blonde had retched into his toilet until he had finally gotten rid of his chills and fell into a fitful sleep.

Even now, Naruto shivered under his blanket as he remembered the man's touch. Grudgingly he recalled how he had actually been turned on by it, but it didn't take away from the fact that he was being raped. And to think that because of that, someone misunderstood the scene and had assumed Naruto was gay. _'Which I am, but I would never in hell make out with a strange man in a dark, dingy alleyway!' _Naruto pressed his palms to his forehead, trying to quell the rage and bile that rose in his throat. His whole life had gone up in smoke ever since the party for Sasuke. How he wished he could go back and change that whole day. Unfortunately he couldn't, so Naruto settled for trying to get to sleep.

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Sasuke brushed another fan girl off as he strode down the hall, purposefully as he had yet another errand to run for the principal. He stopped though when he noticed Naruto walking down the hall. Obviously the teen hadn't noticed him or he would have run off by now. Every since Naruto's random party, the blonde dobe had been avoided him, even more so now that the boy was the main focus of the school. Sasuke kept gazing off after Naruto, his heart clenching as he realized that the blonde was limping slightly. _'What's happened now?' _Sasuke wanted to run up to the blonde and demand who had injured him -as the boy certainly was injured- but he knew the action wouldn't be appreciated. It had taken a few months before the raven had come around and realized that his reason for lack of attraction to girls was more than a dislike of their frivolous behavior. Yes, this meant that **the** Sasuke Uchiha was gay. The discovery had come about after countless hours of research and several hours of terrifying lecturing from the sex ed teacher, Kakashi.

Deciding to help despite the arguments sure to come, Sasuke hurried forward and caught Naruto as the boy began to tilt to the side. "Careful dobe." The blonde's eyes widened in shock before narrowing in distrust. "Come to mock me too, teme?" Sasuke felt himself flinch at the acidity of the other's tone. "That's not it, idiot. Your limping...so tell me, who beat you up?" Naruto glared at him before pulling his arm out of the Uchiha's grasp. "It's none of your business. Why don't you go back to your fan girls before you're discovered associating with the faggot." The way Naruto said it, so callously, pissed Sasuke off more than he ever could know. He grabbed the blonde, spinning him around so he could gaze into those azure orbs. "Stop fucking around and tell me, dobe." Naruto scowled. "No," he replied. Sasuke realized there was no point fighting with the blonde, and grudgingly released him. He watched the teen stalk off, before gritting his teeth and stomping off in the other direction. A pretty brown-haired girl came forward, blushing but Sasuke wasn't in the mood. He growled as the girl approached him, shocking her. "Why don't you go bark up some other fucking tree," he snapped. The girl turned and ran away, sobbing. The raven only continued on his way.

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Naruto sat himself down in a small corner tucked away at the back of the library. He pulled out paper and pencil and stared at the wall in front of him. He knew he had to get started on his english assignment...but he just didn't know what to write. There was nothing he could talk about, at least nothing that wouldn't kill his reputation more. There was no new discoveries in his life, no adventures that he and his friends had recently taken part on. Thinking of friends only reminded him of how he know longer had those things. Naruto sighed and scratched at his head. Well at least kiba was using his time wisely now and trying to get close to his crush, Hinata Hyuuga. _'But still,_' the blonde thought heatedly. _'Would it really kill him to give me a call once in a while?'_ Naruto rubbed at his eyes and got back to his feet. He packed his things up and exited the library, quietly he stalked off and left school grounds.

Feeling a bit nostalgic, naruto decided to make his way to his and kiba's old clubhouse, the old abandoned mansion where he had held a party for a self-centered bastard. Stepping into the old building, Naruto stared around. Memories of him and Kiba running around came to the front of his mind, practically taunting him on what he lost. Casting his eyes down, the blonde continued to walk farther into the house. A noise from upstairs grabbed his attention, surprising Naruto out of his reverie. Suddenly Naruto was worried. Was someone else here? The teen wanted to call out but his throat was constricted and he figured he couldn't even get more than a whisper out. Slowly Naruto tip-toed to the kitchen stairwell, sneaking upstairs and toward the undistinguishable sound. Walking silently, the blonde peeked into the room leading to the balcony. _'That balcony...'_, Naruto reminisced. Blue eyes widened in surprise for the second time that day as they caught sight of a certain raven leaning against the dilapidated balcony. Sasuke's back was turned on him, but he could still hear the raven as he muttered softly to himself. "Damn stupid dobe...Only wanted to help..." Naruto felt himself blush and his heart clench. The blonde thought back on the moment that had happened earlier today and sure enough, Naruto could see that Sasuke was just trying to help. In the same way that Kiba would have done.

'_But i-i...just can-can't deal with him anymore...' _Naruto made to walk away when his foot smacked against a piece of plaster. The sound alerted Sasuke, and naruto watched in dread as the onyx eyes locked on him. A moment passed, then another, both boys staring at each other in shock. Sasuke was the first to break the silence. "N-naruto...?" The surprise melted away to a small smile, making the porcelain face even more beautiful. The smile made Naruto swoon, but he forced himself to remember that his life was now in ruins and no amount of smiles could erase anything. Steeling himself, Naruto turned away and quickly fled the building, not once hearing Sasuke calling for him.

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Sasuke drove himself home, lost at how ironic his visit to the old house had been so similar to that night of his birthday party. He couldn't stop thinking about the night when the confusing feelings began and how Naruto's attitude was the same. _'What happened to you Naruto?,' _the raven thought as he pulled into his driveway. Sighing, he turned the engine off and got out of the car, walking into his empty house. For a moment, Sasuke thought if this was what Naruto felt every time he came home. Helplessness, anger and sorrow. The raven quietly removed his outside clothes, heading up to his room. He had an English assignment to write, so did Naruto he noted seeing as he and the blonde both had the same English class this term. And that was the only class they had together. Sasuke gripped his pencil tightly before releasing the poor mechanical device. "God...if only I knew how you felt about me Naruto. Then maybe I could change things for you." Bare walls were the only witness to his words. Feeling even more dismal, the Uchiha set to work on his homework

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**3 weeks later- Day of the assignment**

Naruto sat once again in his seat, tucked away at the back of the class while people all around him were gossiping or flirting. Sometimes eyes would flicker up at him, and Naruto knew that he still everyone's favorite gossip topic. Even after 4 months the only juicy thing going around the school was him. Staring at the shotty piece of poetry in front of him, Naruto couldn't help but feel foolish. All those past weeks he'd still had nothing to write about, but he did have plenty of bruises on his body and mind. It probably wouldn't have been so bad, what with the school's gangs taking to pulverizing him after school everyday. But then there was the ones who were distributing disgusting fake, but really good, pictures of the blonde having sex with all sorts of different men. Cruel messages ended up scrawled all over his desk, and people had taken to stealing his stuff right out from his locker. Naruto didn't even bother bringing anything more than a notebook and pencil to school now. But the worst probably had been when he was sitting off in the far corners of cafeteria, when Sakura had decided to come up to him. She had smiled and flipped his food tray, pasta and moldy cafeteria cheese sauce ended up on his hair and down his front. The whole cafeteria had fallen silent, focused in on the scene. Naruto glanced at all the watching eyes, feeling numb about the whole thing, his eyes misting over when he noticed that Kiba wasn't even looking at him. Sakura then had taken to lean in, smiling cruelly at him. "If you ever think of getting near my man, I'll be sure to castrate you, faggot." Naruto glared at her, before leaving the table, trying to act as if none of it effected him.

But he'd return home and would sit in his bedroom, lights out, tears tracking down his cheeks as he buried his pain deep inside. But even then, he couldn't get Sasuke out of his mind. The raven seemed to be stalking him all the time and of the occasional times when Naruto had ran into him, the stoic teen had been quiet and calm, offering a small smile instead of cruel taunts and the typical pet name. This Sasuke was very different from the one Naruto had first fallen in love with...but this Sasuke was the one Naruto felt himself falling deeper in love with and couldn't help but forgive. The blonde felt himself breaking apart inside at the hopelessness of the situation, and in that night Naruto was allowed some peace if only in his dreams. And in desperation the next morning, Naruto wrote his poem for English, quickly scribbling down emotional words while feeling unemotional himself. And here he sat, awaiting Iruka's arrival. The clock ticked away, as the teacher finally strode in, placing papers on his desk. "Hello, class. I hope none of you have forgotten about what today is? Let me refresh your memory; you all have an assignment to hand in. The creation of your own poem. But I've decided as an after-thought that everyone shall read their poems out loud to the class. Now who wants to go first?" The whole class was motionless; none eager to be the first to read their work out. Iruka sighed, before scanning the crowd. His eyes landed on a distant blonde. "Naruto."

A whole set of eyes turned to look at him as soon as the teacher called his name, boring into him with their cold stares. He didn't want this attention, didn't want them to have even more of a reason to hate him. Naruto shuffled to his feet, making his way to the front of the class, paper clenched in hand. Small snatches of sentences met his ears as he walked past. Iruka-sensei sat down at his desk, smiling up at Naruto encouragingly. He didn't notice the blonde's pale skin, or the way the boy was shaking under his large red sweater. Naruto rooted himself at the front of the room, staring back at the class. People he knew, people he had associated with years before...they were giving him cold stares. There was Kiba, Hinata, Sakura, Ino, Gaara, Rock Lee, Shikamaru, Chouji, Neji, Shino, Tenten, even Sasuke. The raven wasn't giving him a glare, but his gaze wasn't helping much. Naruto swallowed sharply and turned to his teacher. "I-iruka-sen-sensei...could i-I not do th-this?" The teacher seemed surprised, but shook his head anyways. "I'm sorry Naruto. It's mandatory." The teen bowed his head, and turned back to the class. He understood.

Sasuke watched as the object of his affections stood before the group of hostile teens, even the ones the blue-eyed boy had called friends giving him disgusted looks. From where he sat, Sasuke could hear the words uttered softly about the blonde. They didn't make him happy. Sasuke growled under his breath, his hands clenching into fists. Why couldn't they just shut the hell up?! They were the reason why Naruto kept avoiding him, not letting him get a chance to see if the blonde felt anything toward him or not. Shino turned his head, his brow furrowed. Sasuke saw and silenced himself, uncurling his rigid fingers. The teen just continued to gaze at him through his sunglasses before turning his gaze back to the front. Naruto still hadn't spoken yet, it had been about 2 minutes since the boy had gotten up. Everyone was tense with waiting for the blonde to speak. Sakura leaned toward Ino, her red lips twisted into an ugly sneer as she whispered about the faggot. Sasuke could see Naruto freeze with that action, and couldn't hold his rage in anymore. "Shut the fuck up!!" The whispers stopped, the whole class looking at him stunned. But sasuke wasn't finished yet. He got to his feet, glaring at the crowd. "Can't you see he's trying to talk. Do the guy a favor and zip your fucking lips!!" Sasuke sunk back into his seat, still fuming as he ignored everyone's questioning gaze. Even Iruka couldn't say anything.

Naruto felt himself relax at Sasuke's outburst, a small kind of relief blooming within him. Slowly one-by-one students turned back around, gazing at him with confused eyes. They weren't sure whether they should still be disgusted and rude or respect the Uchiha's wishes. Naruto smiled a nervous smile, and gripped his paper tighter. The moment was now. He cleared his throat and glanced up at the raven, whose head was turned away, the pale teen still ruffled. "S-sooo...we, uh, had to wr-write this asssss-ignm-ment and th-this is what i-I wro-ote..." Naruto shifted his weight and gazed at the lined paper, before speaking up.

"_**I waken from the dead, the distilling sleep;**_

_**a preference to pandora's box stolen from my keep.**_

_**The err I made to oneself, so cold and bitter,**_

_**soon reflected on everyone else.**_

_**Hate and sorrow did ensue;**_

_**the course of my actions only did prove.**_

_**To what I was, and what I be;**_

_**To thee eyes a monster they see.**_

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_**And tho, I fear I've broken the ties**_

_**that have nailed me close to thy mother earth,**_

_**I can only hope I'd break these iron bonds,**_

_**find some relief in a moment of rebirth.**_

_**Beseech thee, I'll grovel if grovel I must;**_

_**for words are meant for listening ears,**_

_**you'll listen I trust.**_

_**For black pools are what drown me,**_

_**and grip me as I sleep.**_

_**Haunting phantoms that are wicked and wily,**_

_**they take me deep,**_

_**beneath the mounting waves, and I chock,**_

_**I flounder about.**_

_**Grief and self-loathe is what has led me to doubt.**_

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_**But those pale fingers, of a wicked god,**_

_**have gently stroked me,**_

_**touched the bruises I've received.**_

_**Only he knows thee emptiness,**_

_**echoing in us beings. **_

_**I've tried and have fought, a laborious battle**_

_**that has fended for noone,**_

_**and has lost yet all.**_

_**Speak, he demands as I struggle against**_

_**calming darkness. I shut my eyes.**_

'_**Let me see thee no more,' I utter softly.**_

'_**Do not taunt fools who rest hopelessly,**_

_**do not touch ones forsaken.**_

_**Your coal eyes, and porcelain skin,**_

_**make mockings of the demons of your kin.**_

_**Please release my golden threads, break me**_

_**instead. I'd rather suffer your wrath,**_

_**then the warmth you emit. Such lips,**_

_**shouldn't be pressed to mine, even in**_

_**dreams I shouldn't feel your fingertips.'**_

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_**His ears can't hear, my soulful cry,**_

_**and more so I'm tormented but cannot die.**_

_**In this plane of soul,**_

_**I've been shown a person's path.**_

_**Catch me not as I fall, I beg to this kindred**_

_**spirit. If he were to touch me in the real,**_

_**then I'd surely ruin it.**_

_**And as the skies alight with fire,**_

_**the sun rises with surfacing desire,**_

_**the dream almost dost vanish.**_

_**But the eyes of oblivion stare toward me**_

_**and I feel it one last time;**_

_**the beating of my heart almost clashes**_

_**against its calcium cage.**_

_**The smile I've lived off of slashes**_

_**away all the pain.**_

_**Gone is the thunder, the lightning,**_

_**the rain.**_

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_**Dost thou love me, I may never know;**_

_**shall I ever have that answer?**_

_**So tell me dark angel, is that thy case?**_

_**Do thy play fool of thee golden beast?**_

_**If truth, I ask thy let me go.**_

_**A false friend is a hard discovery;**_

_**but a false love is a cruel death **_

_**to those at hell's mercy." **_

Blue eyes cried long tears as he finished, gazing at the class, but most importantly at him. His dark angel, the one who had been the source of this poem. Silence had descended, and almost unbelievably others began to cry. Silent tears tracked down the girls' cheeks and even Kiba looked away in shame. Before them stood the one they had blatantly teased and punished, just because of how his heart sung, crying and sobbing like a lonely child. With a sniff, Naruto bowed his head. "S-sorry for tak-aking so long Iruka-sensei...he-here ya ggg-go..." The blonde shakingly placed the poem onto the teacher's desk, head still turned down. Then he turned and ran from the classroom. Sasuke rose to his feet and hurried after the blonde, heart clenching as he turned around every corner. "Naruto..." The raven ran down a hallway, twisting around and exiting out into the school yard.

There, hidden in a nestle of pine trees, sat the blonde; huddled over as he cried into the bark. "Naruto?..." The blonde didn't move, but his sobs became quieter. "W-wh-what do-ooo y-you want, t-teme?" Dark cerulean eyes turned to him, still glittering with the dews of tears. Sasuke didn't know what to say, he only knew what he had to do. He fell to his knees and wrapped the blonde teen up in his arms, holding the shaking body against his as the other continued to cry. Naruto muttered orders of release into his chest, but Sasuke wouldn't let the blonde go. He wanted to hold this angel forever, if that was the only way to keep him from getting hurt anymore. "Naruto...I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you how I felt, but it took me so long to understand my own feelings and by then everyone was at you. I couldn't even get close to you anymore. I'm sorry, soo sorry. I apologize a thousand times over. I want to mean something to you Naruto, I want only your forgiveness for being the fool I have been."

Sasuke whispered all these words into the blonde's ear, holding him tightly, hoping that Naruto would hear his beating heart and know that he was telling the truth. The sobs stopped, and slowly Naruto pushed himself away. "I would have forgiven you even if you never asked," the teen muttered, turning sorrowful eyes up to the other's face. Sasuke cupped Naruto's tan cheek, lowering himself to the smaller teen's lips, brushing them with a soft kiss. "Dobe...,"he quietly uttered. Naruto smiled and threw himself into the raven's arms. "But Sasuke...," the blonde began, after a peaceful moment. "Won't your fans be disappointed?" Sasuke chuckled as he held the blonde closer still. "I couldn't care less what any of them thought." Naruto only smiled a little more, shifting himself more comfortably in the dark-haired male's arms.

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A month and a half later, Naruto and Sasuke were still going out. Fans off all types were disappointed, but by then the hateful ranting against Naruto had finally subsided. Kiba had once again begun talking to the blonde, but after such an ordeal their friendship was awkward and clumsy. Naruto knew in his heart that it would take years to repair the bond the two had, that had been so easily destroyed in a day. Thankfully though, things weren't as bad and Naruto was able to make more friends and acquaintances, even Gaara -who had formerly been the one beating him up- became a close and trust-worthy friend. Naruto's poem had struck a cord in many people, and was published and given an award for best work by young achiever's. Sasuke had replied that the blonde didn't need any ribbons or awards to know he was an achievement. Still the two knew that their highschool life wasn't over yet -they still had a year to go!- and knew better still that the outside world would have more in store for them. They could only hope that things would be easier the second time around.

**The end(?)**

**After having a heart-wrenching dream, I decided that I would write a sequel to **_**'Those Who Are Hurt, Those Who Are Lost'**_**. And here it is. There probably won't be anymore- I only put the question mark because life is never over until your life ends. Only after having written this, did I realize that the poem thing is kind of similar to the ending of the movie **_**'10 Things I Hate About You' **_**but honestly I never meant for that to happen. Anyways thank you to everyone who read **_**'Those Who Are Hurt, Those Who Are Lost'**_**, I hope you'll enjoy this. Remember to review!! **


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